For various purposes, such as irrigation system maintenance, water sources that extend to the exterior of structures need to be turned off. Prior to irrigation system maintenance, such as winterizing and system startup, the water to the irrigation system needs to be turned off or on from the inside of the structure. If access to the internal controls of the water source is not available, the maintenance cannot be performed. This poses a problem not only for maintenance personnel, but also those controlling access to the structure. An example of this problem is when a busy homeowner is unable to be home to allow maintenance personnel access to control the external water source. The homeowner will be unable to have the maintenance performed without compromising security of the home by leaving a door unlocked.
Further, in various areas, water use restrictions are becoming more and more common place to help conserve water. However, the various governmental bodies tasked with enforcing the watering restrictions are often under-staffed and under-funded. Further, even if proper staff levels and funding are present, sending an enforcement official out into various neighborhoods is generally an inefficient use of resources and in many cases is ineffective. Complete compliance with the water restrictions is virtually impossible.